Electric fan



Jan. 15, 1952 c, TULK 2,582,572

ELECTRIC FAN I Filed Dec. 31, 1948 Inventor GEORGE C 'I'ULK a At: torne y.

Patented Jan. 15, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

Application December 31, 19.48,.Se11ial 'No.,68;559 In Canada November '4, 1948 invention relates to improvements in :an

electric fan and appertains particularly to one that is 'portable, being battery operated.

An object =01 "the invention to provide a handy -porta'ble zfan," usable by an individual where no outlet from an electric source is conv'eniently available A ,iurther object of the invention vto provide a. portable battery-operated gfan with -a novel circuit closer that is conveniently located and designed to swing compactly into *the unit when in circuit-breaking position.

v:l'lffurtherrobject of theinvention is toiprovide agportable,battery-operated, fan :unit incorporata flashlight in functional relation :to the carrying handle. 1

A still further object oflthednvention is the provision of a portable,battery-operated combined''fan and flashlightof-the nature and :for

"the zpurpo'se set forth that is characterized by struction, combination and arrangement of parts as shall be hereinafter more ifully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

The invention will be best understood and can, be more clearly described when reference is had,

to the drawings forming a part of this disclosure wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a preferred" embodiment of the invention, with part of the fan guard broken away for clarity;

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section thereof, as taken on line 22; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged horizontal section, as taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

A suitable container or carrying case i may be stamped from a single sheet of metal or moulded as desired and will preferably include a pocket-like, battery-accommodating, lower portion 2 with a closure such as the hinged front cover 3, a fan support surmounting the battery pocket here shown as a tan-surrounding arch l with an integral web-like structure 5 against vIi'Claims. (Cl. 2.30 -249a5l which the miniature electric motortG is laterally secured, being held from radial displacement by angularly disposed :fins on the arms, of the web -andlocked thereinby inbent terminal fingers 8 on the respective fins.

The'fan proper .9 is fixed on-the forward-part of the motor shaft I'll and properly shielded as by a reticulated or wire guard that may be integral -withor secured to the vsurmounting arch 4 such as indicated at H. A carrying handle or :strap :12 :may *have elongated slots 13 near opposite ends to slidingly engage :the -large headed pins I' l-on the :ianarch 4 that'the handle overlies so .as to be collapsible for stora e.

,Onnneside of ;the fan arch] and-preferably below -:;the centre :thereof is an ,OlltWGJdIYd-irected flashlight member 15 that because ,of. its particular "location on the :arcuate fan housin naturally-:throwssitsbeam downwardly whenqthe unit earriedrby theohandle strap :12-

Both the fan motor 6 and flashlight I5 have one terminal grounded to the case I and from each lead wires I6 and I1 respectively connect with a circuit breaker 18 in the case above the battery pocket 2 and below the superposed fan arch 4. With this circuit breaker l8, batteries l9 in the pocket 2 are electrically connected by a battery-contacting spring strip 20 and also grounded to the case. A divided live terminal 2| extends from the strip 20 being spread transversely of the case I. A switch lever 22 hingeable horizontally on a vertical pivot pin 23 is movable into three particular positions, namely (a) off position when swung completely to the right, as seen in Figures 1 and 3 where it is at least partly folded into a receiving compartment 24 in the case, (b) fan position when the lever is swung through to project straight forwards where the butt 22 of the lever 22 acts as a cam to press a spring contact 25 from the fan motor lead wire [6 into contact with the live terminal 2| and (0) light position with the lever swung completely to the left and into partial reception in the compartment or slot 24 at the side opposite from the off position, and in which light position the lever engages a spring contact 26 from the flashlight lead wire I'l that by pressure on the lever 22 can be caused to bend into contact with the live contact 2|. The advantage of this particular switch structure for this combination fan and light unit will be obvious since the lever is folded away out of use in olT position being convenient for storage or carrying and eliminating danger of the circuit being accidentally closed; in forward fan position the cam action holds the circuit closed as long as desired; in the light position though it can be made to stay on, the spring contact 26 is also strong enough to keep the circuit broken unless pressure is applied to the lever or it is otherwise held in circuit closing position.

There are many uses for a portable, batteryoperated fan of this nature that will suggest themselves, and commend it to a wide field of purchasers, chief among which may be in a sick room, at cottages, theatres and sporting events, picnics and such outings, and in most of these 4 housing guard, a battery in the pocket of the case and means for selectably connecting the same electrically with said flashlight member or said motor and fan assembly.

2. The combination with the structure set forth in claim 1, wherein said collapsible carrying handle surmounting the top of the arching fan limited sliding relation to the arched housing 1 by largeheaded pins.

the provision of the flashlight member. for

emergency use in the dark will prove of possible service and advantage. r I

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be manifest that an electric fan is provided that will fulfil all the necessary requirements of such a device, but as many changes could be made in the above description and many apparently widely different embodiments of the invention may be constructed within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit or scope thereof, it is intended that all matters contained in the said accompanying specification and drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitative or restrictive sense. What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A portable electric fan unit comprising a carrying case including a battery pocket, an integral fan housing arching above said pocket with a guard for the front thereof and a collapsible handle *surmounting the top of'the arch, a flashlight member on the outer side of said arched fan housing at least halfway down one side thereof and directed outwardly from the said side,a motor and fan assembly in said housing with the fan facing the inside of the 3. A portable electric fan unit comprising a carrying case including a battery pocket, a fan GEORGE C. TULK.

' REFERENCES CITED V The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS V Date Number Name 1,108,053 Wiwi et' a1 Aug. 18,1914 1,254,042 Howe Jan. 22, 1918 1,504,003 Trumbull Aug.- 5 1924 7 1,746,531 Hubbell -1 Feb. 11,1930

' FOREIGN PATENTS V Number Country Date Great Britain Dec. 6, 1937 

